Mailbox



Patented Aug. 14, 1945 'www UNITED STATES PATENT fYOF-FICE 2,382,092 Y MAmBox Abraham Onos, Hawthorne, N. J. applicati@ February 29, 1944, serial No. 524,366

3 Claims.

The ordinary mail-box has a closed bottom, which makes it dilcult to remove the mail and in some instances is the cause of one or more pieces of mail being unintentionally left in the box. The principal object of this invention is to provide a mail-box which shall have a pivoted bottom-forming member normally confined against displacement or opening movement under the weight of the mail but capable of being readily freed so that such movement may be effected. Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of the improved mailbox;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof, partly broken away;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation thereof; and

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4 4, Fig. 3.

A chute-forming structure comprises the following walls-an upright front wall I, two side walls 2, upper and lower spaced back walls 3 and 4, and an upright wall 5 between the planes of the walls I and 3-4 and which is inclined downwardly and forwardly, being spaced from Wall Iat its lower margin. Walls I 2, 3, l and 5 are in this example all rigidly related.

. A bottom-forming member 6 is pivoted in said structure (as will appear, so that it may assume opposing relation to the chute 1 formed bly walls I, 2, 2 and 5) on a horizontal axis. In this example said member is so pivoted that only that portion, 6a, of said member may assume obstructing relation to thechute. In order to support the mail deposited in said chute or resting on said member said structure should provide an abutment opposing rotation of said member in the direction in which its portion Ga at the forward side of its pivoting axis moves downwardly. Hence the back wall I provides at 4a an abutment overhanging here the rear edge of K said member. But, in order for said member to rotate in said direction for discharge of the mail, it must clear said abutment. Said member, therefore, is so pivotally supported that it is shiftable transversely of the chute. In this example said member itself provides the pivots, as at 8, and these are engaged in slots 8 in the side walls of said structure, such slots bein-g preferably inclined downwardly and rearwardly so that normally said member is urged to the position in which its discharge rotary movement is opposed by the abutment 4a.

In the preferred form said member is so weighted, as at 6c, that it is'normally held in the closed position shown-to wit, with the front margin of its portion 6a engaged with an overhanging abutment la of the front wall of said structure. Said member is of suillciently less front-torrear dimension than the spacing of the walls I and 4 so as to clear abutment 4a when it is shifted forwardly for thatpurpose.

The normal position of said member being as indicated and as shown, mail deposited in the chute will be supported by said member. To eil'ect discharge of the mail said member is shifted forwardly and (since the slots 9 are inclined) upwardly until it clears abutment 4a and r then tilted toward the dotted position. The discharge being effected, as soon as said member is freed it will fall to the solid line position shown in which its tilting under the weight of mail again imposed thereon will be opposed by abutment la.

The side Walls are cut away, as at 2c, at the back, here forward to the wall 5 and from the upper edge of back wall 4 upwardly more or less, as to wall 3. Hence a mail-box exists comprising means to form a receptacle open at the top and having side walls projecting rearwardly at at least their lower portions, as at 2a. Thereby when the mailfbox is secured to an upright wall of a building in upright position with the side wall portions reaching to the building wall a space is formed for reception of newspapers and other bulky mail, which will be supported by said 4portions 2a of the side Walls.y

Preferably the back wall 3 exists as a part separable from the unit formed by the rest of the structure and is first to be affixed to a building wall, whereupon said unit is attached to it. For this purpose it is positioned between the upper projecting portions 2a of the side walls and at each side has upright tongue-and-groove connections therewith, such connections here existing as tongues I0 formed on said back Wall and grooves I I formed in the side walls and terminating, as at I2, short of the upper margins of the latter so that said -unit will be supported on the tongues. Of course, the dimension of each vertical margin of back wall 3 is not greater than the corresponding recess at 2c thus to permit assembling of said unit with the back wall.

At4 I3 is a plate which is to be secured to said building wall above wall 3 and to which is hinged at I4 the cover I5 for the chute. The top margins of the said structure being inclined downwardly and forwardly the cover normally rests thereon, downwardly and forwardly inclined.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim is: n 1. In combination, with a chute-forming struc` ture, a member arranged in obstructing relation to the lower end of the chute and pivoted in said 5 structure on a horizontal axis and pivotally movable out of said relation, said structure having t ture, a member pivoted in said structure to ro;;: tate in either direction around a horizontal axis v,

' and having substantially only that portion Wlii'cfrqf"of said member in the direction in which the is at one side of said axis in obstructingrelatiom to the chute, said structure having an -abutment K normally opposing rotation of* said` A'member' portion on such rotation will move downwardly, and said member being shiftable in said structure laterally and clear of said abutment.

3. In combination,'with a chute-forming Strueture, armember pivoted insaid structure 0n a horizontal axis and having substantially only that portion which isat one siole of said axis in obstructing relation to the chute and having the portion thereof at the other side of said axis the heavierlsaid structure-having abutments normally opposing rotation osaid member around said axis in both directions and said member @being shiftable in said structure laterally and clear of that abutment which opposes the rotation fifst-narnedgportion on such rotation will Vmove downwardly. A f' ABRAHAM ONOS. 

